Saudi Arabia is dropping gender rules for restaurant entrances
Saudi Arabia is ending the requirement that restaurants have two separate entrances: one for families and women and another for unaccompanied men.
Middle East
IKEA banning disposable plastic products in Israel
“We want to harness people’s energy behind ditching single-use plastic straws and disposables, to draw attention to the thousands of everyday changes we can all make to have a big impact on the planet.”
Israeli scientists develop novel nano-vaccine for melanoma
Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a melanoma vaccine that prevents the development of melanoma and treats primary tumors and metastases in mouse models.
Turkey will declare a holiday dedicated to planting trees
A tweet from a citizen attracted the attention of a member of the Turkish government, who vowed to establish his ‘National Tree Planting Day.’
The United Arab Emirates opens the world’s largest single-site solar farm
The Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant located near Abu Dhabi in Sweihan has 3.2 million solar panels with a generating capacity of 1.177 GW. The total project cost was over US$850 million. At the time of its completion, it was larger than all other single-site solar projects in the world.
Saudi Arabia planning 2.6 gigawatt solar project near Mecca
Middle Eastern oil giant Saudi Arabia is set to develop a mammoth 2.6 gigawatt (GW) solar park in the Makkah Region, providing enough energy for nearly 2 million homes.
The European Investment Bank and Palestine Investment Fund offer $18 million for school solar projects in Palestine
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) revealed the signing of a loan agreement worth $18 million which will finance the installation of 35 megawatts (MW) of solar PV systems on 500 public schools in the West Bank.
Kuwait inaugurates Persian Gulf’s largest renewable energy project
The first phase of the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park has now been completed with 70 MW of new capacity. Government officials said the project to establish a 1,500-MW solar energy station will be the largest in the Persian Gulf.
First-of-its-kind study finds cannabis oil ‘significantly’ improves the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers from Israel have shown that cannabis can produce clinical remission in up to 65% of individuals after 8 weeks of treatment.
Istanbul’s ‘reverse vending machines’ trade recyclables for metro fare
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality plans to install at least 100 of the machines in 25 locations by the end of 2018.